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Missouri Valley Basketball Monday: Murray State in, Northern Iowa excels

By Harry Schroeder

Isiaih Mosley, of Missouri State, goes up for the shot during the Bears 78-73 loss to Drake at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.Bearsdrake23
Isiaih Mosley, of Missouri State, goes up for the shot during the Bears 78-73 loss to Drake at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.Bearsdrake23 /
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Missouri Valley Basketball Matt McMahon Murray State Racers (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Missouri Valley Basketball Matt McMahon Murray State Racers (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Murray State joining Missouri Valley Basketball

A Friday Murray State Board of Regents meeting verified the myriads of rumors concerning Racer Athletics leaving the Ohio Valley Conference and joining the MVC. The Board voted unanimously to accept the Valley’s invitation. MSU will begin Missouri Valley basketball participation next season.

Murray’s winning pedigree, rabid fan base, and perfect geographic location were too perfect for the Valley’s Presidents’ Council to pass up. For the second time since the announcement of Loyola’s departure, the league hit the proverbial homerun in its landing of a top-flight basketball program to fill the gap.

By drawing both Belmont and Murray State from the OVC, the league is shockingly in better shape than before the LUC announcement. While the Ramblers (19 in the NET) are leaving, both Belmont and Murray are top 40 NET-ranked teams.

Murray’s football team will not join the Missouri Valley Football Conference until at least 2023. The MVFC is the most dominant FCS football conference in the nation. Six Valley teams were a part of the 24-team national playoffs and league member North Dakota State won Saturday’s national championship.

Murray State’s continued rivalry with Belmont and regional rivals Southern Illinois (Carbondale) and Evansville will provide numerous opportunities for Racer fans to get to know their new rivals. MSU has played SIU and Evansville close to forty times each.

There are numerous rumors that MVC officials were making a campus visit to University of Illinois Chicago this weekend in an effort to evaluate the possibility of Flames athletic programs joining the Valley soon.